Flammifer
Well-Known Member
Good question. I think that Boromir is on-board with the strategy as he perceives it. But he perceives a different strategy from the one perceived by Elrond.
Elrond (and Gandalf) seem to be working on the strategy of trying to read the course of events so far. They believe that Divine Providence is intervening in the course of events (by having the Ring found by a Hobbit and carried by a Hobbit). And have come up with the interpretation that ‘small hands’ will be important and destroying the Ring in Mt. Doom will be important. (Though no one realizes yet that destroying the Ring will win the War.) Move forward in that direction, and be alert to Providence creating opportunities along the way, seems to be their strategy of Estel.
It is tempting to see Elrond and Gandalf as working on faith (estel) contrasted to Boromir representing rational, enlightenment man. Working on logic, reason and amdir, rather than estel. However, this is not what is driving Boromir.
Boromir is also working on a strategy coming from the Divine. He has had a Divine dream. He thinks that the correct interpretation of the Dream will save Gondor (and all of Middle-earth). He thinks he has found the answers to the Dream. He has found the Sword that was Broken, and it will come to Minas Tirith. He thinks that he has found the Counsels greater than Morgul spells. Destroy the Ring and the Nazgul will disappear. He has found his answer. (But it is not really the same answer that Elrond and Gandalf think they have found.) Boromir is also working on estel, not amdir. It is just that he is deriving his estel from a different source than Elrond and Gandalf.
Both Elrond and Boromir are proceeding on the basis of estel. But, interestingly, both have a different approach to amdir. Elrond has not planned much about the quest for Mt. Doom. But he has planned something. He plans a secret mission. Secrecy (and Sauron’s anticipated lack of anticipation of the goal) is the ‘Vegas odds’ or amdir, which Elrond and Gandalf have assumed in their strategy. Boromir, on the other hand, thinks differently about the planning elements of the strategy. He thinks, destroy the Ring, destroy the Nazgul. Great! Frodo is a good bearer – harmless. Gandalf has snuck into Sauron’s domain twice before, and made it out again twice. Decent chance. Secrecy in setting out from Rivendell? Rubbish! God is on our side. Gandalf and Frodo might need to be secret and sneaky later on to penetrate Mordor, but we don’t need to be secret setting out. Blow the horn! If Sauron is aware, let him know that he is challenged! (An anticipation of a decision which Aragorn will make via the Palantir later on.) It will only help the sneaking later. If he is not aware, it will lift the spirits of the Company. In any case, it does not really matter. We have answered the Dream. God is on our side! Boromir believes in an active and intervening Divinity. After all, that Divinity sent him a Dream, which is an active intervention. Elrond believes in a veiled, indirect, and nudging Divinity, operating through ‘chance, if chance you call it’. Their conceptions of the Divine are not similar. (Was Boromir’s Dream sent by Eru? Or was it sent by the Valar? (Messing thing up again Valar?)).
So, is Boromir on-board with the strategy when setting out from Rivendell? Sort of. He is fine with the goal. But his plan is based on a different foundation from the strategy of Elrond. His estel has a different origin. His planning or amdir is based on different assumptions. So, I think that Boromir is fine with the general direction when leaving Rivendell. I think it is only after the loss of Gandalf that Boromir begins to think that without Gandalf, Frodo (whether or not accompanied by any or all of the rest of the Company) does not really have the competence or capability to sneak into Mordor and reach Mt. Doom.
That is when he begins to consider Plan B. (Possibly nudged by the Ring, possibly not?)
Elrond (and Gandalf) seem to be working on the strategy of trying to read the course of events so far. They believe that Divine Providence is intervening in the course of events (by having the Ring found by a Hobbit and carried by a Hobbit). And have come up with the interpretation that ‘small hands’ will be important and destroying the Ring in Mt. Doom will be important. (Though no one realizes yet that destroying the Ring will win the War.) Move forward in that direction, and be alert to Providence creating opportunities along the way, seems to be their strategy of Estel.
It is tempting to see Elrond and Gandalf as working on faith (estel) contrasted to Boromir representing rational, enlightenment man. Working on logic, reason and amdir, rather than estel. However, this is not what is driving Boromir.
Boromir is also working on a strategy coming from the Divine. He has had a Divine dream. He thinks that the correct interpretation of the Dream will save Gondor (and all of Middle-earth). He thinks he has found the answers to the Dream. He has found the Sword that was Broken, and it will come to Minas Tirith. He thinks that he has found the Counsels greater than Morgul spells. Destroy the Ring and the Nazgul will disappear. He has found his answer. (But it is not really the same answer that Elrond and Gandalf think they have found.) Boromir is also working on estel, not amdir. It is just that he is deriving his estel from a different source than Elrond and Gandalf.
Both Elrond and Boromir are proceeding on the basis of estel. But, interestingly, both have a different approach to amdir. Elrond has not planned much about the quest for Mt. Doom. But he has planned something. He plans a secret mission. Secrecy (and Sauron’s anticipated lack of anticipation of the goal) is the ‘Vegas odds’ or amdir, which Elrond and Gandalf have assumed in their strategy. Boromir, on the other hand, thinks differently about the planning elements of the strategy. He thinks, destroy the Ring, destroy the Nazgul. Great! Frodo is a good bearer – harmless. Gandalf has snuck into Sauron’s domain twice before, and made it out again twice. Decent chance. Secrecy in setting out from Rivendell? Rubbish! God is on our side. Gandalf and Frodo might need to be secret and sneaky later on to penetrate Mordor, but we don’t need to be secret setting out. Blow the horn! If Sauron is aware, let him know that he is challenged! (An anticipation of a decision which Aragorn will make via the Palantir later on.) It will only help the sneaking later. If he is not aware, it will lift the spirits of the Company. In any case, it does not really matter. We have answered the Dream. God is on our side! Boromir believes in an active and intervening Divinity. After all, that Divinity sent him a Dream, which is an active intervention. Elrond believes in a veiled, indirect, and nudging Divinity, operating through ‘chance, if chance you call it’. Their conceptions of the Divine are not similar. (Was Boromir’s Dream sent by Eru? Or was it sent by the Valar? (Messing thing up again Valar?)).
So, is Boromir on-board with the strategy when setting out from Rivendell? Sort of. He is fine with the goal. But his plan is based on a different foundation from the strategy of Elrond. His estel has a different origin. His planning or amdir is based on different assumptions. So, I think that Boromir is fine with the general direction when leaving Rivendell. I think it is only after the loss of Gandalf that Boromir begins to think that without Gandalf, Frodo (whether or not accompanied by any or all of the rest of the Company) does not really have the competence or capability to sneak into Mordor and reach Mt. Doom.
That is when he begins to consider Plan B. (Possibly nudged by the Ring, possibly not?)